Shenzi/Main article
Shenzi is a female hyena. She is one of Scar's chief henchmen, along with Banzai and Ed, as well as the leader of her clan. Biography ''The Lion King In her first appearance, Shenzi, along with Banzai and Ed, tries to coax Zazu and young Simba and Nala to stay in the Elephant Graveyard for dinner. As the hyenas chase after the trio, they capture Zazu and place him in "the birdy boiler", sending him flying out of the Elephant Graveyard. Simba tells the hyenas to pick on someone their own size, which Shenzi declares him and Nala to be, resulting in the cubs being pursued once more. Shenzi tries to catch Nala, only to be scratched by Simba with his claws. As they corner Simba and Nala in the cave, Simba tries to protect Nala by attempting to roar at them, but Shenzi, becoming more amused than scared at his feeble roar, begs Simba to roar again. Just then, Shenzi and the other hyenas are hear a thunderous roar and, before they can know it, Simba's father Mufasa arrives and wrestles the hyena trio to the ground. Frightened, the hyenas run away. Later that night, Shenzi shares Banzai's mutual hate for lions, but Scar arrives and tells them that lions are not all that bad. They join Scar in the "Be Prepared" musical sequence in which they all plot to kill Mufasa and Simba so Scar can take the throne. The next day, she tells Banzai to stop complaining about food and to wait for the signal from Scar at the gorge. When Scar arrives, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed trigger a wildebeest stampede that is planned to kill Simba. After Simba runs away believing that he is responsible for Mufasa's death, Scar then orders the three hyenas to kill the cub. When Shenzi and Ed both knock Banzai into the bramble bush, they both laugh at him. Shenzi then spots Simba out in the distance. Banzai tells her to go after him, but she refuses, not wanting to look like "Cactus Butt," despite Banzai telling her that they must finish the job. Shenzi then decides that there is no way Simba can survive out there anyway and they will kill him should he return. Years into Scar's reign, when Shenzi, along with Banzai and Ed visit Scar, she talks to Scar about the Pride Lands being barren with no food and no water. She manages to get Banzai out of trouble after he foolishly mentions the name Mufasa. When Simba returns to challenge Scar for the throne, Shenzi, along with Banzai and Ed, gulp in shame when Scar briefly discovers they had not killed Simba. She and the other hyenas take part in the ensuing battle, where she and Banzai chase Timon into Zazu's cage, only to be chased off by Pumbaa. After the battle on Pride Rock escalates, Scar tries to get out of punishment by saying the hyenas were the real enemy. Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed overhear this and turn against Scar. After Simba throws Scar off of Pride Rock, Shenzi and the other hyenas take their revenge and kill Scar, and then run off. It is unclear what happens to her afterwards, although it is known that she and her clan did not go back to living in the elephant graveyard. ''The Lion King II: Simba's Pride Nuka mentions Shenzi and her clan when he says, "the hyenas ran off" when gathering fire with Vitani at the Elephant Graveyard, likely indicating that Shenzi's clan left the Pride Lands, abandoning the graveyard as a whole. The Lion King 1½ She then returned as the main antagonist in this film, along with Banzai and Ed. While Timon is singing "That's All I Need", Shenzi appears alongside Banzai and Ed. After Timon finishes the song, Shenzi pushes him aside and starts to infiltrate the meerkat colony with her two companions. The hyenas fail to devour the meerkats, as they escape into their burrows, but they nearly catch Uncle Max, who barely escapes in time. Shenzi is later seen at the top of Pride Rock, going after Simba to protect Scar. But, the hyenas are insulted by a joke made by Timon and Pumbaa, Shenzi tells them, "For your last meal, you're gonna eat those words." She and the other hyenas go after Timon and Pumbaa and corner them at the edge of Pride Rock. Timon and Pumbaa try several tactics to entertain them while Uncle Max and Ma dig a tunnel under the hyenas. One tactic Timon used was to propose to Shenzi so she can become his bride which Shenzi declines on. When the trap tunnel initially fails, Shenzi along with the other hyenas finally moves in closer and closer to eat Pumbaa, Ma, and Uncle Max while Timon goes in to finish the tunnel. They eventually fall into the tunnel after Timon bravely finishes it, and they plummet to the bottom of Pride Rock to meet Scar after he is thrown off a cliff by Simba. After this, they are not shown again for the rest of the film, but lining up with the events of the original film, they confront Scar at the base of Pride Rock, where they betray, and kill him, and meet their defeat in the flames below. Other roles TV series ''The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa ="Cooked Goose" = Shenzi and her cohorts prove themselves to be poor hunters, constantly disrupting the hunts of Cheetata and Cheetato. In order to get rid of the hyenas, the cheetahs plot to send them on a wild goose chase, far from where they plan to hunt. First, they attempt to give the hyenas a treasure map, but when the hyenas struggle to spell "X," the cheetahs come up with a new plan, catapulting the hyenas into a volcano via their own dastardly contraption, the Serengeti Shuttle. Once again, the hyenas return to the hunting grounds of the cheetahs, having been suspicious about the lack of airbags, peanuts, and seat belts in the Serengeti Shuttle, and the cheetahs are forced to execute their final plan. Together, the two split up the hyenas, giving each one directions to the North Pole after telling them individually that they are the brains of the bunch. To the frustration of the cheetahs, the hyenas run into each other along the way and realize that they've been tricked. Back in the Serengeti, the cheetahs stuff themselves with meat and end up too full to outrun the hyenas, but before the trio can eat them, a wild goose arrives, asking which way is south. The five courteously give him directions and then give chase. ="Doubt of Africa" = Shenzi and her cohorts appear in a flashback, cooking Timon over a fire. It is implied that Pumbaa saves his friend from the claws of the hyenas. ="Big Top Breakfast" = The hyenas are seen wandering the savanna, dangerously hungry and in bad tempers. When Banzai grumbles about how he could eat a whole circus monkey if he were offered one, a circus monkey named Simon lands on top of the trio alongside a giant crate of circus supplies. Upon seeing the dazed simian, the hyenas begin to argue over who has rights to the prey, giving Simon time to scurry away. With their quarry gone, the hyenas take chase, broiling over how they should go about ensnaring the monkey. While Shenzi suggests that they impersonate monkeys and hide in a barrel, Banzai proposes that they build an environment suitable for monkeys like Simon. As a compromise, the hyenas set up an obstacle course for Simon, waiting until he dives into their circus cannon to fire it. Instead of performing as expected, the cannon explodes, leaving the hyenas charred and barren of prey. With Simon out of their paws, Banzai complains that he's hungry enough to eat a whole blue whale, summoning a giant whale that lands directly on top of the trio. ="Can't Take a Yolk" = Shenzi and her cohorts spot a mother ostrich nursing an egg and resolve to make the egg into their breakfast. The three attempt to sneak up on the egg but find that the nest is heavily armed. Seeing no hope in removing the egg themselves, the hyenas target its mother, attempting to crush her beneath a giant rock, though they end up being crushed themselves. They then try to tunnel underneath the egg but end up emerging in China, where they are run over by a cart. Refusing to give up, the hyenas send an elephant after the mother and egg, but once more, they are crushed beneath their own foul plans. Finally, after all else fails, the hyenas disguise themselves as ostriches and persuade the mother ostrich to hide her head in the sand. With the mother oblivious to their doings, the hyenas steal her egg and replace it with a rock. Despite their victory, the three begin to argue over who deserves the egg, giving it time to hatch into a giant ostrich that knocks them into a canyon, where they are crushed beneath an enormous rock. ="TV Dinner" = The hyenas are inspired by a nature documentary about an armadillo to become famous movie stars. For the host Martin Pardon, Shenzi demonstrates ballet dancing, making Martin yell "cut." Shenzi then asks Martin to give her some steak, but Martin spins the female hyena away. When Shenzi's companions also get turned down abruptly by Martin, the three hatch a plan on taking over Martin's directing position. When the armadillo gets a movie deal, the hyenas are offered jobs, but they decide that they'd rather be directors of the show and replace Martin Pardon as host, cooking him in a pot for lunch. This may indicate that the hyenas are living a new life as directors and stars of the wildlife documentary show, where they get fed during their new career. ="Once Upon a Timon" = Timon finds himself being chased by Ed until he runs into Pumbaa, who has been captured and tied up by the hyenas. Upon seeing his friend, Pumbaa asks if the hyenas had invited him over for dinner as well. Ignoring the idle chatter of their soon-to-be meals, the hyenas close in on the duo, prompting Timon and Pumbaa to make a hasty getaway. ="Space Ham" = The hyenas bully Timon by using him as a volleyball until Pumbaa shows up and rams into Banzai, sending him flying into the leaves of a nearby bush. Thoroughly intimidated, the hyenas scurry away. Timon and Pumbaa later get revenge on the hyenas by using the tractor beam of their UFO to continuously pick up and slam the hyenas back into the ground. House of Mouse The hyenas make several cameos in ''House of Mouse. In "The Stolen Cartoons," the hyenas can be seen clapping for Mickey Mouse as he comes onstage. In "Donald's Pumbaa Prank," the three are seen at a table about to eat Zazu. In "House of Turkey," the hyenas are anxiously waiting to eat Mr. Turkey, but when they learn that he's a guest performer and not an entrée, they attempt to eat Pumbaa. In Mickey's House of Villains, Banzai is seen singing "It's Our House Now" alongside one of Captain Hook's pirates, Kaa, the Queen of Hearts, and Tick-Tock the Crocodile. The stage musical Shenzi's role is considerably the same in the ''Lion King'' stage musical. She is given an additional song, "Chow Down", to sing when Simba and Nala enter the Elephant Graveyard. She also sings in "The Madness of King Scar", in which she and Banzai give their complaints to Scar over a shortage of food and water anymore and tell Scar that he is adored. Literature ''The Lion King: Six New Adventures =A Tale of Two Brothers = As an adolescent, Scar (then named Taka) often meets in secret with the hyenas. During one particular occasion, Shenzi and her friends attempt to ambush Taka in an attempt to scare him, but the young lion reacts with boredom, commanding the trio to drop the act. He then warns the three that his father is searching for them, a statement which causes Banzai to suggest that they move to the mountains. Annoyed, Shenzi and Taka yank his whiskers, silencing the hyena. The conversation soon takes a turn toward Taka and his father. When Shenzi suggest that Ahadi has ditched Taka again, the young lion reacts sensitively, yelling that he never gets ditched. Banzai and Shenzi then proceed to suggest to their lion friend that he get Mufasa in trouble with his father so that Ahadi might have second thoughts about which son becomes the next king. Encouraged by his friends' suggestion, Taka sets about to enact the plan. Friends in Need An adolescent Shenzi, along with Banzai and Ed, attempts to put Zazu in a geyser. Luckily, the young hornbill is saved by a then Prince Mufasa, who roars at the hyenas, who flee. Comics * ''A Great Team * Good Advice is Hard to Find * Greedy is as Greedy Does * Monkey Magic * Simba's New Brother * Simba and the Snake * The Disguised Zebra * This Chore's a Bore Video games ''Kingdom Hearts II'' In the game, the trio are desperate for food and try and eat Sora as a cub, Donald Duck, and Goofy. Banzai almost killed Sora, but were stopped when Scar roared. The hyena trio ran to Scar to see what he wanted with other hyenas. The hyena trio was seen again at Pride Rock and were about to attack Sora, Donald, and Goofy but Scar roared then the hyena trio looked up and saw Scar and Pete. When Nala knocked down Scar and told Sora, Donald and Goofy to run. The three heroes ran with Shenzi, Banzai and Ed and other hyenas in pursuit. Sora, Donald, Goofy and Nala managed to get away from the hyenas. The hyena trio is later seen again at Pride Rock preventing Simba from getting to Scar. Sora then told Simba to go after Scar while his friends handle the hyenas. Timon and Pumbaa knocked the hyenas into the air but they were chased into Pride Rock by the hyena trio and other hyenas. Sora, Donald and Goofy battled the hyena trio inside Pride Rock. The trio was easily defeated and ran away out of Pride Rock. Later on in the game, the trio of hyenas are fought again for information on the source of Scar's ghost, meaning that they survived the first Lion King movie. They know nothing of the ghost, and taunt Simba about it. They also seem to have somewhat of a grudge against Sora, Donald, and Goofy, as it was thanks to their part in overthrowing Scar that they were sent back to the Elephant Graveyard to only eat scraps. It's also noted that in the video game, Scar never said the hyenas were the real enemy. Thus, they remained loyal to him. Personality and traits Shenzi is sassy, but has a longer fuse than most hyenas. Due to her superior intelligence and the fact that she often takes command in more serious situations, she is the leader of the group of hyenas. Shenzi is vicious but also has a sense of humor, albeit a somewhat malicious one, stating that she wants a "cub sandwich" and teasing Banzai by calling him "Cactus Butt" when he falls into a thicket of thorns. This malicious sense of humor is shared wholeheartedly by Banzai and Ed. Shenzi's sense of humor sometimes distracts her however and she doesn't notice Simba, Nala and Zazu fleeing until Ed and Banzai point out that their dinner is escaping. Throughout most of the film, Shenzi is very loyal to Scar and never disobeys his commands. She reprimands Banzai for wanting to attack wildebeest before Scar's signal. However as time goes on, Shenzi begins to doubt Scar, complaining about the lack of food and water. Finally her faith in Scar is broken completely when he tries to blame her and the other hyenas for Mufasa's death. She also shows a vengeful streak in the climax of the film as she and her fellow hyenas attack Scar and tear him apart for betraying them. Concept art Shenzi and her lackeys looked a lot like actual hyenas before their finalization. Voice actors * The Lion King - (1994) - (film) - Whoopi Goldberg (speaking and singing) * The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa - (1995–1998) - (TV series) - Tress MacNeille * ''The Lion King'' (musical) - (1997) - (musical) - Tracy Nicole Chapman (original actress) * The Lion King 1½ - (2004) - (film) - Whoopi Goldberg * Kingdom Hearts II - (2005) - (video game) - Tress MacNeille * Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom - (2012) - (attraction) -Jenifer Lewis * The Lion King (2019 film) - (2019) - (film) - Florence Kasumba Trivia General * In Issue 49 of The Lion King: A Nature Fun and Learn Series, the "Puzzles" section states that Shenzi is one year younger than Banzai and Ed. * In The Lion King 1½, when Timon proposes to her, he claims that her full name is Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena. *She is the only hyena from the 1994 film that retains her original name in the 2019 film. Banzai and Ed are renamed Azizi and Kamari. * In Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel, the hyenas are imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost. They have cubs who are given to the children of the villains. * In a teaser trailer for The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, it is stated that Janja and his clan are descendants of Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed's clan. In development * During production, Shenzi was originally written to be a male to be voiced by Tommy Chong, opposite Cheech Marin as Banzai. However, when the directors couldn't get of hold of Chong, she was instead written as a female. * Before Banzai says, "Kitty, kitty, kitty," Shenzi was supposed to say, "Look, boys. A king fit for a meal!" This line was deleted for reasons unknown, though the line does feature in one of the film's books. * Originally, Shenzi was the only hyena who testified Scar's betrayal. Gallery Lion-king-disneyscreencaps.com-2225.png Lion-king-disneyscreencaps.com-3018.png Lion-king-disneyscreencaps.com-4657.png Lion-king-disneyscreencaps.com-9205.png Lionking3-disneyscreencaps.com-1270.png Goose Shenzi8.png Click here to view the rest of the gallery. Media The Hyena Chase|The hyenas chase Simba and Nala The Lion King - Hyenas Chase Simba|The hyenas ordered by Scar to kill Simba Lion King 1.5 - Timon proposes to Shenzi|Timon proposes to Shenzi The Hyenas Planning How to Get Their Breakfast|The hyenas hatch a plan on how they can catch and eat Simon References Category:Main articles